March 6, 2017

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202-228-7561

“As I stated when President Trump’s administration previously took the responsible step of acting to prevent terrorists from infiltrating our refugee programs, we live in a dangerous world. For eight long years the Obama administration remained willfully blind to the threat of radical Islamic terrorism, admitting tens of thousands of refugees whom the FBI expressly told Congress they could not be certain were not terrorists. That Obama policy made no sense, and it made America less safe. If we are serious about combating the threat of radical Islam, we must reform and strengthen our refugee programs to ensure proper vetting of those entering our country—especially when they are coming from nations that are hotbeds of terror. This is crucial to our national security and to protecting American lives, and it is a priority for which I have long advocated.

"I commend President Trump for rejecting Obama's willful blindness. In contrast to the hysteria and mistruths that are still being pushed by the media, President Trump’s executive order implements a four-month pause in refugee admissions so that stronger vetting procedures can be put in place. This is a commonsense step that the American people overwhelmingly support. I am also pleased to see that lawful permanent residents will not be impacted by this order.

“I will continue to call on Congress to pass legislation to further assist in these efforts. For example, the executive order calls for greater influence from the states in this process, and the State Refugee Security Act that I introduced with Rep. Ted Poe (R-Texas) would do just that. This is a commonsense step to help keep us safe, and should be something that all senators and representatives, regardless of political party, can unite behind.”